NEWPORT, Calif., May 9, 2016 – At opening day festivities held this weekend at Bahia Corinthian Yacht Club, Mrs. Kathie Ohmer-Arnold of Aliso Viejo, CA was named the 2016 recipient of the Leadership in Women’s Sailing Award. A joint honor of the National Women’s Sailing Association (NWSA) and Boat Owners Association of The United States (BoatUS), the award recognizes an individual with a record of achievement in inspiring, educating, and enriching the lives of other women through sailing. Southern California Yachting Association (SCYA) Staff Commodore Gail E. Hine, the 2001 recipient of the Award and Member of the Women’s Sailing Foundation Board of Directors, presented the honor on behalf of NWSA and BoatUS.

“Kathie exemplifies the Corinthian spirit in her endless enthusiasm for the sport of sailing and her generosity in sharing her time and many talents with others,” said Hine. “She does it all – cruising, racing, coaching and boat repair while also pitching in onshore with the volunteering, planning and organizing aspects of club activities. She is a role model that demonstrates that women can participate at the highest levels in sailing and is always ready to give encouragement and instruction.”

Mrs. Ohmer-Arnold began sailing dinghies in California’s Newport Harbor and then later raised a family. After her boys grew up, in 1984 she married a sailor, and they flew to the Mediterranean, spending 2 years on their 36' sailboat along the coastlines of Europe and Africa. Then they crossed the Atlantic to the West Indies in 1986 logging over 10,000 miles. She spent 2 years in Florida, as First Mate on 70' Hatteras, earned her 100-Ton Masters license and taught women to sail and race, navigate and charter their own boats on the Florida waterways.

Returning to California in 1988, she continued involvement in sailing, starting in Dana Point with the repair and restoration of historic sloop Virginia. She also taught Sea Scouts how to sail, became a instructor with Orange Coast College of Sailing & Seamanship, and over the next nine years taught over 500 women to sail aboard the school’s various sailboats, including the 47-ft Saudade.

In the 90’s Kathie was active in the precursor to the Women’s Sailing Association of Orange County, was a supporter of the Sail for the Visually Impaired, and joined Bahia Corinthian Yacht Club (BCYC). After she acquired her Catalina 34 “Dollfun,” Kathie mentored many female members, being active in their social events, club cruises, and junior activities as well. She served as Port Captain and also as Fleet Captain at BCYC and participated in H/20 harbor races. Kathie supported the Leukemia Lymphoma Society charity regatta and invited young leukemia survivors aboard on her boat for a number of years.

Kathie has been an instructor/coach for the SCYA’s Women’s Sailing Convention for the past 25 years and second-in-command. She is responsible for the annual event’s coach coordination, boat donations and participant on-the-water workshop assignments.

For more information on the National Women’s Sailing Association, visit: www.womensailing.org

Kathie Ohmer-Arnold of Aliso Viejo, CA, is the 2016 recipient of the Leadership in Women’s Sailing Award, a joint honor of the National Women’s Sailing Association (NWSA) and Boat Owners Association of The United States (BoatUS). The award recognizes an individual with a record of achievement in inspiring, educating, and enriching the lives of women through sailing. http://goo.gl/PPeOYj

About National Women’s Sailing Association (NWSA):

The National Women’s Sailing Association is a program of the Women’s Sailing Foundation, a 501(c)(3) educational organization whose mission is to enhance the lives of women and girls through education and access to the sport of sailing.

About Boat Owners Association of The United States (BoatUS):

Celebrating 50 years in 2016, BoatUS is the nation’s largest organization of recreational boaters with over a half million members. We are the boat owners’ voice on Capitol Hill and fight for their rights. We help ensure a roadside breakdown doesn’t end a boating or fishing trip before it begins, and on the water, we bring boaters safely back to the launch ramp or dock when their boat won’t, day or night. The BoatUS Insurance Program gives boat owners the specialized coverage and superior service they need, and we help keep boaters safe and our waters clean with assistance from the non-profit BoatUS Foundation for Boating Safety and Clean Water. Visit BoatUS.com.